Italian Renaissance Gown for Elfdoll SD

This pattern was designed to fit an older Elfdoll Ryung. It also fit my Supia Rosy, although it was a little looser on her. The dresses were inspired by gowns worn during the Italian Renaissance, and are not intended to be historically accurate.​Patterns were drafted to recreate the 'look', on a modern BJD, in as simple and easy-to-sew design as possible.

* Please read through all the instructions before starting.

​Patterns

The full-size patterns are available to download in pdf format, to be printed on standard 8.5 x 11" paper.​Click on any of the pattern pages below to download the pdf.

Print out the 4 pages of patterns, and cut them out. *Note that some of the pattern pieces are actual patterns with seam allowances included. Some of the patternpieces are templates, and they do not include seam allowances. They are meant to be traced around onto​the wrong side of the fabric, then the fabric cut out adding the seam allowances as you go.

​the Under Dress

*Unfortunately I had not decided to make a Tutorial and take photos until after the underdress bodice was already done, so I will do my best to explain the process verbally, using photo examples from other projects. These were the four completed bodices.

Materials

Instructions

*before proceeding with making the bodice from the good fabrics, it would be a good idea to just trace the bodice template onto​ scrap fabric, adding only the underarm seam allowances, sew the underarm seams to make a "test bodice", and check the fit.

1. Cut out underdress bodice and trace onto the non-sticky side of lightweight iron-on interfacing. Add seam allowances and cut out.​ Iron interfacing onto wrong side of main underdress fabric. ​2. Trace neckline of underdress bodice onto white cotton, and add about 3/4 to 1" width around edge, and add seam allowance. There is not a pattern for this piece, but it's meant to go under the lace around the neckline. It can be omitted if you like. If you decide you'd like the white backing under the lace, cut the piece out, and baste around neckline. Baste lace on top of white backing. The lace in the above examples has been basted down flat with mitred corners.

You can also choose to just gather the lace around the neckline without a backing, and stitch it down, as in this example....

3. Cut out lining for bodice, and pin onto bodice with right sides together. Stitch up back opening seam, around neckline, and down other back seam. (*photo is not from this project, but being used as an example)

4. Stitch both armholes seams. Clip all corners and curves. Turn right side out by pulling bodice backs through shoulders to front. Press neckline and armholes. Sew darts in bodice and lining (separately)​​5. Pin underarm seams matching bodice to bodice side seams, and lining to lining, as shown (photo is not from this project, but being used as illustration)

7. Here's my technique for adding a full skirt. Divide the bottom edge of the bodice into eighths and mark with pins....

8. Cut underdress skirt as shown in pattern diagram. Hem both side edges. Stitch skirt back together about 2/3 way up, leaving opening at top. Hem skirt bottom. Depending on the fabric, and how fussy you are about authenticity, hemming should be done by hand - since they didn't have sewing machines in the middle ages. Press skirt.

Divide top of skirt into eighths, and mark with pins. Match pins on skirt to pins on bodice. *Do not pin into lining.

9. For the neatest fit, I prefer to pleat the fabric to fit the bodice, pinning each one into place.

​*Note - the skirt in the photos is two-tone because I didn't have enough of the turquoise brocade for the entire skirt, so it's just in the front, where it will show, with the pink fabric added on either side for fullness.

10. Baste by hand, then machine stitch.

11. Fold under seam allowance of lining and pin into place covering raw edges of skirt top.....

12. Hand-stitch lining into place. Press lightly, turn right side out. Fit on doll, and sew on snap fasteners.

​the Overdress

For the overdress it's important to choose a fabric that will drape well. ​The four Elfdoll gowns in the photos were made using thin embossed velours

Prepare ​Skirt

1. Fold skirt fabric in half. Cut out the large curved pie-shaped piece on the 'Elfdoll Skirt Cutting Diagram' page, and position it on the fabric as illustrated, with the long edge along the fabric fold, and the shorter end along the finished edge of the fabric. Pin in place. For the front edge of the skirt, measure an additional 18.5 inches away from the curved central cutaway piece. Mark with pin. Then measure an additional 24" further along the folded edge of the fabric. Mark with pin.​Using pins, mark a nice curve between the two pins. Cut out skirt and middle cutaway section A

5. Fold lower sleeve section back over lining, being careful to push lace out of the way so it won't be caught in seams.

6. Stitch side seams, being careful to sew around curve near elbow as per the pattern template. Clip at curves, and turn lower sleeve right side out. Pin and press flat.

7. Hem outer edges of white elbow puffs

8. Gather one long edge of each elbow puff onto the two upper sleeve pieces, between the side seam allowances, with right sides together. Remember that the two puff pieces are a "pair", with the narrower sections going in the inside of the elbow, and the wider section at the outer part of the elbow, so they need to be sewn onto the upper sleeve pieces correctly - in opposite directions. Zig-zag the raw edges. (see 8 below)

9. Gather the other edge of the elbow puff onto the lower sleeve, between the seam allowances, with right sides together. Zig-zag raw edges.(see 9 below) Bottom sleeve in photo shows sleeve with upper sleeve and puff flipped up into position.

11. Gather shoulder puff onto top of upper sleeve brocade, and zig-zag raw edges. If you'd like to add beading to the trim at the wrist, now would be a good time to do it. I stitched small round gold beads on the loops of my trim. Any beading higher up on the sleeves will need to be done later, or the beads will get in the way of the sewing machine stitching.

Here's all eight sleeves from the four gowns. Note the different fabric combinations, with matching trims.

12. Trace the Overdress Bodice Template onto the non-sticky side of medium weight iron-on interfacing. Add seam allowances and cut out. Press interfacing onto the wrong side of your bodice fabric. Cut it out. FrayCheck all the edges. *Note; there wasn't a big enough piece of the green brocade I chose for my bodice, so I had to cut the bodice template pattern at the shoulders and cut my bodice in three pieces, sewing them back together at the shoulders, and top-stitching the seams flat)

Cut out lining, and with right sides together, sew along the front opening edge, around the neckline, and down the other front opening edge. Clip edges and turn right side out. Press.

13. Sew bodice darts, and lining darts. Fold lining out of the way, and then gather top of shoulder puff into bodice armhole, paying special attention that the larger parts of the sleeve elbow puffs correspond to the bodice back. Ease top of sleeve lining into armholes.

17. Clip lining armhole seam allowance, fold in to inside. To make the next step easier, I always baste the clipped edge of the armhole in with a matching thread. Then turn the lining right side out, and insert bodice sleeve into position. Hand stitch the lining around the armhole.

18. Turn bodice right side out. Here's Ryung and Rosy modelling their dress bodices over their underdresses....

19. Time to attach the skirt. Using the same technique as explained for the underdress, divide the bottom edge of the bodice into eights. Divide the top of the skirt edge into eights as well, and match up the pins. Pleat the skirt fabric onto the bodice, securing with pins. Hand baste, then machine stitch.

20. The bodice will lace up through eyelets, so in order to minimize the bulk where the eyelets will be inserted, and make it easier to insert them, I clip away some of the seam allowance around where I expect the eyelets to go....

21. After clipping the seam edges of the bodice and lining, fold under the bottom edge of the lining, and hand-stitch into position

25. Time to finish the lower sleeves. I had originally drawn up the pattern with the intention that the lower sleeve would do up with snaps. But that didn't take into account the thickness added by all the trims. The trims also make it way too thick to insert eyelets.So to solve the problem, I used snaps on the upper half of the lower sleeve openings, and stitched ribbon ties at the wrist.

26. To give the underskirt some more fullness, I sewed ruffled petticoats out of white cotton edged with lace. They aren't historically accurate - they would never have 'wasted' lace on underwear. There are no patterns or instructions for the petticoats since they are easy enough to figure out.

The finished gowns

'Lovely in Lavender' Variation

Way back in 2008, One of my BJD costumes was featured in 'Doll Crafter and Costuming', a magazine which no longer exists. The costume was 'Lovely in Lavender'. The magazine article featured pull-out sheets with full-size patterns, and complete instructions.

​A similar doll costume can be created using the Renaissance patterns above, with a few simple modifications.

1. This dress has a much fuller skirt than the dresses in the Tutorial above. In order to make a fuller skirt, just start by cutting a larger quarter-circle on the fold of the skirt fabric (part A in the cutting diagram above), and measuring the skirt lengths extending from that. The back of this Lavender overdress has a longer train, so add more to the back of the skirt.

2. Instead of ribbon ties, this version had cords, made from twisted embroidery floss.

3. The sleeves, although of different design, were made in much the same way. The lower sleeve sections extend higher past the elbows. There are no puffs at the elbow and shoulder. Instead a large puffed upper sleeve was added. I can't provide the actual pattern, but I have a photo of what the top puffed sleeve pattern looked like. It was drawn on double-width paper.

*If you decide to try this type of sleeve, it's important to hem the side edges of both sleeves, and gather the sleeves onto the lower sleeve and lining only within the seam allowances of the sleeve lining. Then when you sew the underarm seams of the sleeves (step 15 above) it's important to make sure the puffed sleeve edges don't get caught in the sewing. Once the sleeves are turned right-side-out, you can neatly sew the matching puffed sleeve side seams together.

The bottom end of the sleeves between the 'opening' and wrist on the Tutorial sleeve patterns above, is cut narrower,without the intended overlap as in the patterns above, since the sleeves were made to be laced up with eyelets. ​*Note in the photo below that ​trims were sewn onto the wrist-end of the sleeves leaving space between them to insert eyelets.

'Dagged' strips, cut from matching colours of nylon tricot, were stitched onto the outer edges of the lower sleeves​before the larger puffed sleeve was sewn on. They can also be sewn on after the dress is finished.